Community first
Local leaders encourage mutual respect as Trump faces potential removal from office
Local political leaders from both sides of the aisle are encouraging mutual respect and discouraging violence or unrest of any kind amid calls for President Donald Trump’s removal from office by impeachment or through the utilization of the 25th Amendment.
Asked about the potential for protests or unrest in Gordon County in the coming days, both Gordon County Republican Party Chairwoman Kathleen Thorman and Gordon County Democratic Committee Chairman Jeffery Adair were quick to speak out against violence and instead urged members of the community to remember that, despite any differences in political opinion, that is what we are — a community of friends, family members and neighbors.
“We have seen so much turmoil this year. We need a time of healing in our nation, in our communities and in our
government,” said Shea Hicks, chairwoman of the Gordon County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, urging all sides to find a way to “come together in unity.”
“I believe that we don’t need to make accusations on just what we hear from the media and other sources, we need to research the facts and be informed on what the actual truth is,” Hicks said. “What I have learned is when I can sit down with a citizen and explain the procedures we follow in my office, then it gives them confidence in the voting process and procedures. I believe in integrity and honesty. Our country needs to get back to this.”
On Trump’s possible
removal
When asked to share her thoughts on the now second attempt to impeach and remove President Trump from office, Thorman said she felt attempts to remove the president from office began the day he was elected and have never stopped.
“The Democrats and the resistance, as they call themselves, have been trying to re
move the president from office since his election in 2016. This is another political ploy used to express their hatred and disdain for the president and those who voted for him,” she said. “The targeting of conservatives and the censorship is concerning.”
Adair said he felt it was “extremely important and necessary” to hold the president accountable following the recent violence at the U.S. Capitol, an incident for which he believes Trump is to blame.
“The riot this past week that was a direct assault on the U.S. Capitol, our nation’s legislative seat of power, left five people dead, disrupted both sessions of House and Senate business, left our democratically elected officials taking cover under tables and in closets, and left our Capitol building vandalized,” he said.
“In this case there is so much recorded evidence in the tweets and speeches of the current president that it is clear his words were a catalyst for these actions and crimes against our Capitol and our judicial legislative branch. His speech helped to incite this act of violence and direct this 10,000 plus crowd of people to the Capitol,” he said.
On potential for local
protests
Adair said that he had not heard of and did not know of any local unrest happening or being planned by either side at the moment. Thorman said that while she had heard of unrest and rumors, she and her party “want to work together in [the] community no matter what political party” to which someone might belong.
“The main stream media is complicit in stirring up strife, has polarized us, separated us and has made everything political when it is not,” she said. “It is damaging to hear and see that bad things done by others are used to paint an entire group of peaceful people in a bad light. That is harmful and fans the flames of animosity and conflict.”
Thorman also emphasized that the Gordon County Republicans “do not tolerate violence nor find it a solution.”
Adair also stated that violence was not a solution and stressed the importance of knowing the difference between a protest and a riot.
“Your right to assemble and express your views through protest is a protection under the First Amendment. However, police and other government officials are allowed to place certain reasonable restrictions on the exercise of speech rights,” he said.
“There is a reason we cannot scream fire in a crowded theater,” he said. “Free speech is not free when it is hate speech or speech that incites violence and endangers others. Someone always ends up paying for it.”
On healing a polarized
nation
After a year of extreme divisiveness and political turmoil, both Thorman and Adair said the best path toward healing the nation would be one in which citizens on all sides attempted to work together faithfully and with mutual respect for one another, born out of a genuine desire to reach a fair solution.
“We are blessed in our community. There are many people working together towards unity, both Democrats and Republicans,” Thorman said. “While we may disagree on policy most of us get along and respect one another.”
Adrian Lyles, in particular, she said, has impressed her with his efforts to heal racial conflict in the community by starting the P.U.L.L. (People United in Life and Liberty) movement. P.U.L.L. is an organization that seeks to educate, empower and encourage the public to view one another as “one race of people called ‘human,’” rather than allow traditional definitions of race to define to limit growth and divide communities.
“We, in this local community, have some answers to the conflict in our nation,” Thorman said. “It starts locally. Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Adair also called on citizens to “remember what it means to be a human being and a citizen of the United States of America.”
“When something is being so strongly divided, we need to stop and ask ourselves what exactly is dividing us and trying to conquer us. It is not red or blue — it is not Democrat or Republican — but something much broader like power, jealousy, hate, envy or fear,” he said. “We need to recognize that we are a people of different races, beliefs and values but that we also reside together in a nation that values freedom and liberty.”
He continued, “Mutual respect and a true belief in freedom and liberty that does not infringe on one another’s rights to live and pursue happiness will go a long way in healing our nation.”
The Calhoun Times also reached out to Gordon County Commission Chairwoman Becky Hood, County Administrator Jim Ledbetter, Calhoun Mayor Jimmy Palmer and City Administrator Paul Worley for comment, but did not receive responses before deadline.